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Because its international?

Australia has adopted the perverted USA intelectual property manners just recently, May 18 2004 (http://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/us.html , http://samba.org/~tridge/fta_statement.html). Even now, if Samba were under attack, the development (if not all the developers themselves) might shift to Europe: perversion of the european patent system is still under construction, after the Episode I---The Patent Office Menace, Episode II---The Attack of the Parliament, and Episode III---The Revenge of the Council, the Episode IV---New Hope came, when the Netherlands, and afterwards also others, considered withdrawing their support to the prepared perverted directive, but the European Commission and the European Patent Office are undoubtedly going to strike back (http://ffii.org/). May be that Microsoft waits just for the European Union, may be it even postpones its attack untill the world for free software development gets yet smaller.

The real test of the global community power is yet to come, after the global power of the USA succedes in making the USA laws actually global.

On the up-and-up

it's just unfortunate that people don't know what's good for them and are more interested in irrelevant news than items which will actually make a difference to them.

You mean like cheaper electronics, vehicles, white goods, clothing, etc...

I think you'll find that the increase in affordability of those items and many more are going to make a difference to more people than IP and copyright laws. The FTA doesn't make Australia the 51st state of the USA. What it does do is give Australia access to some of the cheaper products available in the US *and* allows Australians free access to those same markets.

Oh yeah, that chapter 17 is here.

I recently attended The US-Australia Free Trade Agreement and Intellectual Property - A Symposium which was hosted by the Baker & McKenzie Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre, UNSW Law Faculty. You can find the transcript here, and mp3 sound files here, here, and here. It was a most interesting presentation, although in some ways I think it missed important 'features' of the FTA. Features which affect us all like most of Chapter 17, especially the introduction of DMCA like laws. More time was spent discussing mostly irrelevant issues like the 'protection' of information that may otherwise be cached by ISPs. The site is a good resource nonetheless - it's just unfortunate that people don't know what's good for them and are more interested in irrelevant news than items which will actually make a difference to them.

I'm more than familiar with those links. The fact is NZ would love one of these even if this is the price to be paid.

You may also not be aware of this application causing a bit of a world wide stir.

If you had browsed the MED site a bit further you would have found this statement:

"IPONZ, when deciding whether or not to grant a patent, must give applicants the benefit of the doubt, and can only refuse to grant a patent if it is "practically certain" that a court would find the patent invalid. As a result patents which might be likely (but not almost certain) to be held invalid will be granted. The uncertainties and expense of challenging the validity of a patent mean that few patents are ever challenged. If patents are granted that the courts would find to be invalid, the rights enjoyed patent owners are greater than they are entitled to. These greater rights have the potential to restrict competition and raise prices to consumers, and may restrict the activities of local businesses that lack the resources to challenge the validity of the patent"

In summary, cheap and cheerful to get a patenthere and start setting a world precident/portfolia - pain in the arse and expensive to challenge it once granted.

Enforcing this rule for the ".us" domain name is to be required as part of the proposed US-Australia Free Trade Agrement - Chapter 17, Article 17.3

Wont happen, Howard is beholden to American interests. The supposed Free Trade Agreement adds DMCA like provisions to Australian copyright (as well as extending copyright protection). Details of the FTA. There will be public meetings with members of the trade commision in the next month or so.

cam

With any luck, we'll be rid of Howard (US bootlicker) in November, so don't forget to speak to opposition MPs as well.

The US may not pay *all* of its dues, but that doesn't mean that it does not have a tremendous degree of influence regarding the policies drawn up by UN agencies. Nor does it prevent the US from then using its economic might to force other countries to sign up to the policies it favours, as you can see in this extract of the new US/Australian free (preferred) trade agreement which demands that both parties sign up to WIPO policies.

Link to "IP" part of text.

Article 17.2 paragraph 2 requires trademark protection for sounds and scents!?! WTF? A quick Google search turns up that the US has issued trademark protection for several such scents but it is uncertain if any of them are currently active, and that the EU has issued at least one scent trademark.

Article 17.4 paragraphs 7 and 8 exactly lay out the US's DMCA DRM-enforcment and copyright-managment-information provisions.

Article 17.9 paragraph 1 defines "capable of industrial application" as merely meaning "useful". This combined with other clauses pretty much makes software patents MANDATORY.

Article 17.11 paragraph 26 / 27 is the essentially the US's NET act, and it mandates PRISON TERMS for non-commercial copyright infringment.

Article 17.11 paragraph 29 lays out the US's DMCA "takedown" procedures forcing internet services to immediately take down material or disconnect access based the mere allegation of infringment. It immunizes copyright holders from liability for indiscriminantly tossing off these takedown notices. The innocent targets harmed by such bogus takedown orders are denied any recourse. All they can do is file a counter-notice when they find out that their material has been taken down or service cut off, and it is eventually restored.

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And this agreement is sold by the media, wealthy elites and goverment propaganda (at least in Costa Rica) as a "we must sign it or we all will starve" thing.

Funny, text of CAFTA is very similar to the Australia Agreement text: same structure and chapter names. It's like the US Trade Representative has a template for agreements like these, on top of which negotiations take place. So these are not really agreeements between two parties, but some sort of take-it-or-leave-it imposition.

An overview

In particular, I quote:

"Australia retains the flexibility to implement the Agreement in a way that meets our domestic circumstances, for example, providing a mechanism to introduce public interest exceptions in relation to technological protection measures."

An overview

In particular, I quote:

"Australia retains the flexibility to implement the Agreement in a way that meets our domestic circumstances, for example, providing a mechanism to introduce public interest exceptions in relation to technological protection measures."

While it's an understandable first reaction to assume that the FTA means that we Australians will be changing laws to match the seppos, the actual wording of the section on IP rights mentions that the agreement will "work to reduce differences in law and practices, in the area of patents, trademarks and designs".

Why not reduce differences in laws between the two countries by changing US law to match Australia's?

First, go to this link: www.dfat.gov.au/missions/.

Once there, look up the nearest Australian consulate. Then, give them a call and tell them that you're furious that they would allow this kind of manipulation at the hands of the recording industry.

Be tactful, polite, but firm. Practice what you're going to say. Don't swear, and don't say anything rash or dangerous to your own freedom. (We need you out of jail, so you can join the GNU/United Front militias in the Great Copyright Civil War of 2016)

The RIAA/MPAA may have billions of dollars, and governments all over the world at their beck and call, but what we have is a whole lot stronger: We've got the Slashdot Effect.

They've got the guns, we've got the numbers.

While Webster might not stand up in court, I think the US Code will.

Where did I mention credit cards?

read here for more info.

"Australia was the first country in the world to have a complete system of bank notes based on plastic (polymer). These notes provide much greater security against counterfeiting. They also last four times as long as conventional paper (fibrous) notes."

Better yet, stop using paper. Take a look at Australian Banknotes. Bright easy to see colours, different sizes for the blind, UV printing, raised numbering, clear windows, micro printing (you can read parts of our constitution on one note part of "the man from snowy river" on others), etc.

Plus being made out of polymer, they are cleaner than paper/cotton/wool/whatever banknotes.

Why paper? Polymer notes last longer, are much harder to damage, and are much more difficult to counterfeit. Also, adding extra anti-counterfeiting measures such as transparent windows, micro-print, and watermarks is simple.

Why so much green? All the US notes are green, which makes distinguishing between denominations take longer than it should. If the notes were coloured, only a quick glance would be required to check denomination, especially for people with vision impairment.

To speak from my own experience in Australia, it's been all polymer notes since 1990. Each note is a different colour and length, doesn't rip, and is terribly difficult to counterfeit.

I'm just surprised this new $US20 isn't polymer. The technology works - why not use it?

No, actually, piracy is still alive and kicking...

Story 1 (search the page for 'piracy' to see statistics on deaths)
Story 2
Story 3
Story 4
Story 5
Story 6
Story 7

Note that most piracy occurs in the South China Sea, and off the coast of Africa, but there is still piracy in the Caribbean, which is very close to U.S. shores.

Just because modern day pirates don't usually have eye patches, and sail in many masted schooners with a black skull-and-crossbones 'Jolly Roger' flag, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It just tends to happen more often to pleasure craft than to cargo vessels, like it did centuries ago.

And the Renaissance was well under way and piracy was still common, as the U.S. Marine Corps was formed in 1775 specifically to combat the rampant piracy on vessels travelling to and from America. (Yes, the United States Marine Corps is technically older than the United States of America as a country.)

Additionally, you ask where IMF intervention has worked. Well, it's very hard to measure whether IMF intervention was successful or not. After all, there are a lot of factors in an economy. If an economy booms after IMF intervention, it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the IMF (Russia's economy is doing better today because oil prices have risen, not because of the IMF). On the other hand, if an economy collapses despite IMF intervention, it doesn't necessarily mean IMF intervention was bad - the economy might just have had too many problems for the IMF to correct.

But, it is possible to argue that the IMF intervention was successful in South Korea. The South Korean economy contracted by 6.3% in 1998 (source) after the Asian economic crisis hit, but it has rebounded very well. According to one report, "GDP growth for 1999 was 10.7%, possibly the fastest recovery ever." (source Its GDP growth for 2002 is 6.1%, and GDP growth for 2003 is estimated to be 5.3%. (source)

South Korea's recovery from the Asian Crisis has been very good. In fact, people are talking about how South Korea might become the new model for Asian economic development, taking over from the Japanese model. The South Korean model is basically moving away from export-driven growth to domestic consumption driven growth.

This model, I will point out, is essentially the American model for economic growth. And, also the model the IMF was pushing.

Thailand has also recovered fairly well from the Asian economic crisis. Its GDP dropped 1.7% and then 10.7% in the wake of the crisis, (source), but bounced back by 4.4%, 4.6% (source) and then 1.8% (source). Its recovery hasn't been as good as South Koreas, but its has been recovering. Its unemployment has remained very low. And frankly, given that people thought that the Asian crisis might lead to a worldwide depression, I think that's pretty incredible. Remember how long it took the world to get through the last depression - when there was no IMF.

The Oz mint makes polymer currency, complete with a hologram encrusted window, for Australia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Kuwait, Western Samoa, New Zealand and Romania.

The polymer sheeting is made from in a huge complex where balloons with about the same volume as a WWII aircraft carrier, or something, are blown out from melted polymer in a huge complex. I read a good article on the process in the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Weekend section about a year ago.

Here's some links

Oz Dept of Foriegn Affairs 'n Trade

Note Printing Australia

ABC News (the US ABC that is)

Another ABC page

Oz Reserve Bank currency page

Securency PTY LTD

Currency 'how are they made?' page

RBA Polymer page

A study contracted by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was released this month discussing the effects of globalization on poverty. One of the key points to the study was:

The evidence also shows that international income inequality has narrowed over the past 30 years when countries ' population sizes and the purchasing power of local incomes are considered. The very poorest countries now represent less than 8 per cent of the world 's population compared with just over 45 per cent in 1970.In countries that have embraced the opportunities created by integration with world markets, globalisation has enabled stronger income growth. But national policies have not always been sufficient to ensure that the benefits of this growth are enjoyed by all.

The study can be found at: www.dfat.gov.au/publications/globe_poverty/index.h tml

a hotline has been set up for those Australians with family in America

1800 002 214

Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has more for those who need it

a hotline has been set up for those Australians with family in America

1800 002 214

Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has more for those who need it